Should Xabi Alonso return to Real Madrid? According to a legend of Los Blancos, this is the sentiment, as the Spaniard is considered the ‘perfect coach’.
One of the most intriguing questions in the coming days will likely be who will manage the chaotic squad of Real Madrid next season. According to media reports, Jose Mourinho is currently in pole position for the sidelines.
Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas is less than thrilled about a potential comeback for the Portuguese, who previously managed Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013. He has instead surprised with his favorite, whom he believes to be the ‘perfect coach’ for Madrid.
At an event organized by Movistar+ in Plaça Catalunya, Barcelona, ahead of El Clásico, the long-serving Real goalkeeper Casillas declined to comment on a Mourinho return to the Blancos, stating only that he «had a difficult time» under the now 63-year-old, but «that’s water under the bridge.»
Instead, Casillas reiterated that he «would bring Xabi Alonso back.» He believes his former teammate at Los Blancos has led «Leverkusen to success with a pretty good game system» and is the «perfect coach» for Real Madrid.
Real Stars Treated Alonso with Disrespect
Alonso was dismissed earlier this year, despite a points-per-game average of 2.24 and being only three points behind Barcelona in La Liga, following internal disputes within the squad. He was replaced by the current coach, Alvaro Arbeloa.
As reported by Marca, citing insider information from the Real dressing room, a deep rift among certain players in the team was also a reason for Alonso’s dismissal. The situation at Real gradually worsened in October when several key players, including Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde, increasingly and publicly displayed their dissatisfaction with Alonso’s methods, which involved intensive tactical sessions and video analysis.
However, there was also a faction that was perfectly comfortable with Alonso’s approach and supported his vision to fundamentally change the system and style of play. For them, the constant complaints, especially from Vinicius, were merely an excuse, as the Brazilian’s status under Alonso was no longer the same as it was under his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti.
While Vinicius remained an integral part of the team under Alonso, he was substituted in 20 out of 33 competitive matches and was even only brought on as a substitute four times. This means Vinicius only played full matches in nine games under Alonso and was more often in a playmaking role (10 assists). In comparison, Vinicius has scored eight more goals in ten games under Arbeloa and has only been substituted three times in 23 appearances.
One of these substitutions, which was reportedly met with strong disapproval from Vinicius, famously led to a widely discussed incident in the Clasico at the end of October. According to Marca, this was the moment when the season, both internally and in terms of team spirit, definitively took a downturn. Players like Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga were also reportedly of the opinion that Alonso’s methods and approach were negatively impacting the performance of many players.
The lack of respect from a faction of the players towards Alonso was reportedly so great that some players even pretended to be asleep during tactical meetings and talked during Alonso’s presentations. This is said to have not only led to deep resentment among Alonso’s supporters within the team but also to an outburst from the still-unattached coach. «I didn’t know I had come to a kindergarten here,» a stunned Alonso is said to have shouted at one point.